Courage You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt Courage. What feeling arise in our hearts when we hear this word? Maybe you would feel admiration, respect, or fear, or maybe nothing at all. The word Courage has a very long history and its origin is from the Latin word coraticum. The root “cor” means “heart”. So literally it means “an action that comes from a heart”, in other words it is a noble action.
It what sense is this word used by contemporary people? The main interpretation of the term is “to describe people who have a quality of mind that allows them to face danger without fear, which is also often referred to as bravery or boldness”. This word is mostly used when talking about man as from its original it is considered to be more of a manly virtue. The definitions of this word are numerous, but since the world around us changes the definitions change, too. Courage is a spectacular word.
For many people risking or giving one’s life for others is probably the highest example of courage. This is an action that will always be deeply respected by other people and touches every single one of us to the core. What about everyday courage? Can certain devoted actions made by ordinary people in ordinary situations be considered to be courageous? Is courage measured by physically giving someone’s life away for somebody else’s life? Is it “courage” when a person reconciles from the death of the loved one?
Or is “courage” living with a handicapped child? Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber does a great job in depicting these two different kinds of courage and gives an easy way to define them as: “courage to die” and the “courage to get up in the morning. ” This is different for every person but sometimes a person who is ready for “real” courage, “courage to die” cannot be strong enough to face the “everyday” one. If we try to base our discussion on this we come to the conclusion that “courage” cannot me measured from a sense of “significance”.
We can say that “courage” is being strong even though you are afraid, but on the other hand it is taking risks without knowing the future result. Bravery, heroism, valor, spirit, boldness, firmness, persistence, fearlessness, determination; these words can all be viewed from a point of being synonyms to the word courage. This word is a combination of these words and has a deeper meaning. Courage can have a negative meaning, too. For instance we can call a “courage” Hitler’s attempt to seize and suppress the whole world, but objectively it is not courage, but ambitions and hate and a wrong idea in his conception.
In ancient times courage was considered to be is one of four essential virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. Analyzing this point of view it is easy to understand why. Courage is one of the most important qualities in a person because without it they will not be able to show their other virtues. They would be afraid of being judged or whatever. You cannot buy courage or get it from someone else. You can only be inspired by the examples of other people. It is not just a gained state of mind, as a result of a meritorious education. It is a calling of a soul.
An integral part of a person’s personality. It is a description of a real “decent person”. It is originally expected to carry a positive meaning when an action is made for some kind of “improvement”. It is an action when a person goes through difficulties or bears up against the evil to do something good (or to improve something) and does not expect to gain anything from it. ”Courage” is a state of heart, when dignity is the ruling force. It does not matter what it is, to die for the life of another person or earning money to pay for the kids’ education.
Some of the most courageous acts are those of people who sacrifice their time away from their families and home to put their lives on the line for the way of life that we have been accustomed to. You can also describe someone that exudes courage as someone who will go into There are also more subtle distinctions in the definition of courage. For instance, some distinguish between courage and foolhardiness in that a courageous person overcomes a justifiable fear for an even more noble purpose. If the fear is not justifiable or if the purpose is not noble, then the courage is either false or foolhardy.
Moral courage, more than physical courage, is widely debated. It is frequently regarded as courage in following one’s own ethics which may result in the individual feeling isolated from colleagues, or even family. Also moral courage is facing shame, scandal, prejudice or even discouragement and defeating it. Courage is virtually doing something you really don’t want to do but still do it because you know that it is the right thing to do. Courage is often intertwined with Bravery. Bravery can also be described as doing something while being faced with imminent danger.
Soldiers are often defined by their courage and bravery. Their daily life is constantly bombarded with the expectation that they are willing to die for their country. Selflessness also comes to mind when I think about Soldiers. You can describe a Soldiers life as one that is treated as expendable, they are asked to give the ultimate sacrifice just like firemen and police officers and they are all considered to be courageous and brave. Looking back at my experience with service to this great country, I have met and served with many men and women who are very courageous.
They never asked why, they never gave up, they always said, “Yes Ma’am “or “Yes Sir” as they snapped attention and saluted. Many of them are currently fighting in foreign countries for the future of our children and our children’s children. That is courage. Running into a burning building after a plane has been purposely crashed into it to save a strangers life, all while knowing that you might possibly die. That is courage. Being able to stand up and be proud of your country and what it stands for. That is courage.
